The guys were in the living room, catching up over beers and watching football on the big-screen TV. The turkey was in the oven; Aunt Cheryl was prepping the sides. Gabbie, a kindergartner, dashed around the house, alternately dispensing hugs and hiding under the table.

This Thanksgiving on a quiet street in Stoneham was distinctly normal, perhaps even unremarkable. And for the Norden family, that was something worth celebrating.

“If you’d asked me seven months ago, I couldn’t tell if I was going to feel better or anything. I was just so hurt,” said J.P. Norden, who uses crutches to walk with his prosthetic leg. “But they tell you things get better, and they have.”

After months filled with surgeries, physical therapy, and intense pain, the Nordens said this year’s holiday has taken on new significance. But unlike those many long days, Thursday would not be defined by the bombing.